Brownsburg approves hiring of seven firefighters pending PERF approval; retirement, transfer noted

The Town of Brownsburg voted to hire seven firefighter applicants pending approval from the Public Employees' Retirement Fund (PERF) during a short meeting that also included approval of minutes and announcements about personnel changes.

A board member moved to approve hiring the seven candidates “pending PERF approval,” and another board member seconded the motion. The motion carried on an affirmative vote. The hires were described in meeting materials as the seven applicants “approved by the pension board.” The board’s vote to approve the hires was recorded as affirmative and the chair declared the motion carried.

Earlier in the meeting the board approved minutes from an August meeting, after a brief exchange about the correct date. A board member said the agenda listed Aug. 19 but the minutes showed Aug. 8; the member described the agenda as “incorrect.” The motion to approve the minutes passed with one abstention from a board member who said they were not present at the prior meeting.

Members also noted personnel changes in the department. The chair announced that Shannon Wallace retired after 23 years of service and that another firefighter, identified as Mr. Rimpke, transferred to Carmel. The chair said Mr. Rimpke’s move was financially motivated; a board member agreed, saying Carmel’s pension base “is considerably higher than ours.” The departures were raised in the context of explaining vacancies and the current candidate hires.

There were no attorney items, and the meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn.

The hires remain contingent on approval by PERF; the board did not discuss additional details about start dates, assignment, or salary changes during the recorded proceedings.